A Long Neck Lamp

Over the years I have found that the morning hours which come early serve me best as I seek to discern what God is saying and doing in my life.  I must confess to wandering away from what I know to be best from time to time, but even as I do, I find once again the drawing power of such hours.  Perhaps, my mind has not had time to start its engine.  Perhaps, it is the quietness inherent in a moment of waiting for the sun to show itself more fully in the eastern sky.  Perhaps, there is a blessing in being intentional about seeking after God which casual and spontaneous prayers throughout the day do not allow.   

Any number of possibilities could be added to the list, but I do know what is best for me in my own walk with Christ.  Like so many things I am re-learning about myself in this particular season, everything is mostly about mystery.  There is so much more I do not know now than I have ever not before known.  While I am not sure about this thought about not knowing, it makes enough sense for me to live with it.  More and more I run into things I do not know.   There are many reasons why mornings affect my spirit as they do, but one of them is found in a poem I have had before me since I went to college at Young Harris.  

Back then I had what can only be described as a bulky old fashioned desk lamp with a long neck. On that long neck I taped a poem by Ralph Cushman entitled "The Secret."  "I met God in the morning when my day was at its best, and His presence came like sunrise, like a glory in my breast.  All day long the presence lingered, all day long He stayed with me, and we sailed in perfect calmness o'er a very troubled sea.  So I think I know the secret, learned from many a troubled way, you must seek Him in the morning if you want Him through the day."  I still have the lamp.  And, the poem is still taped to that long neck.  And, the words still speak to my heart.